Louis City SC and the Columbus Crew are thick, as without the Crew, one of Major League Soccer's original teams, this current St. Louis resurgence may not be possible. Sporting director Corey Wray and head coach Yoann Damet both spent time in the Columbus Crew system before helping set up this team that has reinvented itself to reach the final on Wednesday in their old city of Columbus (live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
But the ties don't end there, as there's even a college connection. Columbus Crew captain Sean Zawadzki and St. Louis midfielder Dante Polvara were part of the 2019 Georgetown University NCAA championship team.
While they've taken different paths to get here, they'll meet now with a chance to win the U.S. Open Cup final and also book their place in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The champions will also receive $600,000 in prize money, while the runner-up receives $250,000.
Louis may have a rich history in the competition, with teams from the city winning 10 Open Cup titles, but it has been 38 years since the last one. Meanwhile, Columbus has been one of the most successful teams in MLS history with nine trophies in all competitions and will have a chance to add one in front of their home fans in this tournament. Date: Wednesday, Oct. 21 | Time: 8 p.m.
ETLocation: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field -- Columbus, OhioTV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+Odds: Columbus +130; Draw +250; St. Louis City SC +182 In St. Louis, they made a major addition by adding Rafael Navarro from the Colorado Rapids.
Navarro has only played eight games for the club, but he has scored eight goals in the process and added three assists as well. But there's one large issue: he has already played in the U.S. Open Cup for the Rapids and can't feature in this game.
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